Fortune Cookie Say...

The other day I ordered Chinese food to be delivered to my home. My family loves Orange Chicken and Mongolian Beef, I love vegetables with tofu. Mastering the use of chopsticks has become a passionate pursuit for my son. I love to watch him work for his dinner. And when dinner is over, there is the ceremonial choosing of the fortune cookies. Ever since my children were very little, I have explained to them that they must choose their own fortune. I will not simply hand their cookie to them, they must make the selection, themselves.

I am hopeful that someday they will see the connection, the reality of this concept. That we choose our own fortunes. Of course, it is fun to see fortunes that say, "Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain" or "Doors will be opening for you in many areas of your life." These are actual fortunes that I have saved in my planner. It is fun to go back and read a fortune or two from a while back and see if anything similar or real has come to pass. And of course it has, for fortunes are written in a way that they would fit into anyone's plan, anyone's future who is striving for success.

Random success stories are not random. The way you hear about them might be random and sometimes success is a matter of right place - right time. But typically, it is because of a great idea(s) and/or a lot of hard work. Fortune is not the same as luck. We often say "We feel very lucky" or "I am very fortunate." What it boils down to is recognizing when the work, the ideas, the connections, and perhaps star alignment all come together to create a story of success.

Sometimes, hard work just seems like very hard work. But like anything else, "practice makes perfect," "try try again," "put your nose to the grindstone and shoulder to the wheel," and all that other nonsense that is supposed to be motivating and uplifting.

The impetus we need each day to succeed or merely get done what we need to get done doesn't come from a little piece of paper wrapped in a delicious cookie. It comes from within. Sometimes you just need to pick at it slowly with a pair of fine chopsticks, making sure you do not miss one grain of rice or one step in the success process. That door sometimes creaks so slowly open that we might miss it if we are less than observant or too eager ortoo big for our britches.

by rayannethorn

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Permalink Reply by Rick on October 20, 2010 at 11:35am

Hi Rayanne

Great post as always and thank you for your daily efforts. It is nice to take a few minutes away from my daily resume reading to read your posts. It is a good way to rest my mind and recharge my batteries, enabling me to hit the grindstone for the rest of the day. Your post today brings a song to mind, Roll The Bones by one of my all time favorite bands RUSH, the lyrics are below. If you are a music fan download it and check it out, these guys are true musicians/artist, not of the sort of “today’s” so called “Want-ta-bes” .

Have a great one and keep up the great work!

"Roll The Bones"

Well, you can stake that claim
Good work is the key to good fortune
Winners take that praise
Losers seldom take that blame
If they don't take that game
And sometimes the winner takes nothing
We draw our own designs
But fortune has to make that frame

We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That's the way that lady luck dances
Roll the bones

Why are we here?
Because we're here
Roll the bones
Why does it happen?
Because it happens
Roll the bones

Faith is cold as ice
Why are little ones born only to suffer
For the want of immunity
Or a bowl of rice?
Well, who would hold a price
On the heads of the innocent children
If there's some immortal power
To control the dice?

We come into the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
That's the way that lady luck dances
Roll the bones

Jack...relax
Get busy with the facts
No zodiacs or almanacs
No maniacs in polyester slacks
Just the facts
Gonna kick some gluteus max
It's a parallax...you dig?
You move around
The small gets big
It's a rig
It's action...reaction
Random interaction
So who's afraid
Of a little abstraction?
Can't get no satisfaction
From the facts?
You better run, homeboy
A fact's a fact
From Nome to Rome, boy

What's the deal?
Spin the wheel
If the dice are hot...take a shot
Play your cards. Show us what you got
What you're holding
If the cards are cold
Don't go folding
Lady Luck is golden
She favors the bold
That's cold
Stop throwing stones
The night has a thousand saxophones
So get out there and rock
And roll the bones
Get busy!

Roll the bones

Why are we here?
Because we're here
Roll the bones
Why does it happen?
Because it happens
Roll the bones

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Permalink Reply by Sandra McCartt on October 20, 2010 at 12:21pm

If you put your nose to the grindstone rough..
and hold it down there long enough..

These three things will cease to be..
Birds that sing, flowers and a tree..

These three things will your world compose..
Just you, your stone and your freakin bloody nose..

Some days i would rather be lucky than good....

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Permalink Reply by Paul Mitchell on October 20, 2010 at 1:14pm

Rayanne-Thanks very much for your thoughts and yes, I agree with Rick on the great and timely post. I'd like to share that I was at my alma mater yesterday for some meetings as I embark on a career transition. It's always good to take a step back in time at a memorable place, and yesterday's visit encouraged me to recall that while the memories were absolutely outstanding, my success 25 years later has been methodical and full of practice and hard work.

Rick, thanks for sharing the Roll the Bones lyrics...it's a great tune.